Most of us want to be truly virtuous, but we struggle with a desire to do sinful things. Why is it so hard to do what’s right when we know exactly what “right” is (Matthew 26:41)? We know gossip is wrong (1 Timothy 3:11), we know we need to dress modestly (1 Timothy 2:9), we know it’s a sin to lie (Revelation 21:8), and we know we should remain sexually pure (Hebrews 13:4). So if we know the difference between right and wrong, and since the Bible is so clear about the consequences of sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), then why do we still have such a difficult time living for Him?
I think the reason is because we allow little things that “aren’t that bad” into our lives all the time. How many times this week have you said, or heard someone else say, “It’s not that bad.” That is the same thing as saying, “It’s not good.” To say it’s not that bad is to minimize the significance and danger of sin. God knows that sin will hurt us, which is why he tells us not to do it! Think of all the ways things that aren’t “that bad” creep into your life. When we watch a TV show or movie that celebrates fornication, we are allowing impurities to enter our hearts, through our eyes and ears. When we bring our boyfriend home to our empty house after school and make out with him on the couch, we are knowingly allowing sexual thoughts to enter our brains. When we read articles in magazines that tell us when it’s okay to tell a little white lie, we are allowing ourselves to think that maybe God’s word, and His commandment to never lie, doesn’t apply to all situations.
Here’s the truth: it matters! Sin, in any form, matters! Satan uses those little white lies, the make out sessions, and the “not that bad” movies to desensitize us to sin. When we begin with one “not that bad” sin, we start a pattern of other “not that bad’s” that generally lead to something very, very bad! Satan knows that, and he will get to us in any way he can. We must also keep in mind that, to God, sin is sin. A small fib is as bad as a huge lie (1 Timothy 4:1-2). If we hate someone, it’s on the same level as murder (1 John 3:15). All sin is equally bad to our Lord.
Our hearts matter!
God looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). Is your heart beautiful, or is it ugly and full of sin? It doesn’t matter what the girl in your youth group does. We’re not talking about her. We’re talking about you. What does your heart look like? Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” If we find ourselves gossiping, lying, cursing, or watching inappropriate movies, the main problem is not our actions. The main problem is our impure heart causing us to do the sinful action.
How do we get a pure heart (Psalm 51:10)? We need to stop looking at others around us! We will always be able to find somebody who seems worse, or more sinful, than we are. That makes it so easy to justify what we’re doing. We can’t compare ourselves to other people. If we say, “Well, I do this, but that girl does….” then we’re justifying our sin based on the actions of other people. We need to say, “I did this, but Jesus would have…” Wow. Big difference, huh? The only human being we should compare ourselves to is Jesus. We need to look to Him, strive to live like Him, and not worry about what other people are doing.
The other people will have to answer for themselves (Romans 2:6-7), and while we do need to be a good example, encourage them to do well, and be happy for them when they succeed, we also need to make sure that we ourselves are right with God. Not for anyone else, and not to put on any kind of show, because when our heart is right, our show will naturally become one worth watching and emulating, and one that highlights Jesus.
Proverbs 31:10: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”
Davonne Parks
it is the only way to salvation
With the new school year underway, it is very fitting that our theme this month is “Pierce my heart to study Your word,” and our scripture is Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Regular Bible study is important regardless of where we are in our walk with Christ. Maybe you’ve been coming to church your entire life and know a lot about the Bible; maybe you’ve only been coming for a short while; or maybe you just stumbled across this magazine and haven’t really given God a second thought. It doesn’t matter where you were in your Christian walk yesterday; what matters is that you choose to start today to move forward.
Maybe you have only been to church a few times in your life, if ever. You might feel totally lost when people talk about the Bible or God or what Jesus has done for us. I encourage you to get a Bible and read it. Ask someone who is a biblically
Standing out at school can be a simple thing, by dressing differently and avoiding curse words that many speak without thinking. But you can also stand out by helping other people in your school: someone’s backpack has broken and their stuff has spilled out all over the hallway. Do you stop to help them, or do you rush off to class because the teacher will make you write an essay about being on time? Think about the answer while reading through this song, “A Beautiful Life,” by William M. Golden.
God will know why you did help someone – because they needed help, or because you thought there would be some reward involved – or why you didn’t help. “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:5-7).
My freshman year was one of the hardest times in my life. I moved to a different city, away from all of my friends, including my two best friends. I started attending a public high school after being home schooled for two years, and I was having a rough time with other things in my life as well. I made friends, but only two of them really understood my heart. One of them was Seth. Seth was a grade below me and in a different school, but we rode the same bus. He always sat directly behind me and would ask how I was doing. He could tell the minute he walked on the bus if I was having a bad day. He always knew instinctively what would make me feel better, whether it was leaving me alone, telling me jokes until I had to laugh, or listening to me tell him about my bad day.
There are so many people around us every day who need to know about God. The girl who wears the mini skirts and belly shirts is begging to be loved. She doesn’t know that what she’s missing is God’s love. The guy who makes mean jokes in order to feel superior needs to know the God who is King 
“Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirits of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die” (Dwight D. Eisenhower).
God has great plans for His children, and by taking His offered freedom, we are able to live the life He has designed for us. We can go and teach others knowing that our souls are in His hands (Matt. 6:31-33). Remember everyday the freedom that God has provided for his faithful children!
Here in the United States we have a lot of freedoms, including the freedom to be different. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
These words characterize the stages of the marathon for Christ. Each of us starts out taking baby steps, but someday we must run the marathon ourselves and rely on our own faith in God, and not our parents’ or guardians’. When we reach this point in our lives, we are living for Christ and giving our all!
What does it mean to be free in Christ? Even more, what does it mean to enjoy that freedom? Some people see Christianity as having a bunch of rules to follow, or a list of “thou shall nots.” Christianity is so much more than that! Being a Christian is more than just going to church on Sunday mornings and more than having a list of rules to follow. Christianity is having a real, growing and thriving relationship with Jesus Christ. Christianity is not about being a slave to God; being a Christian means being set free from the heartache of sin, which the following song describes beautifully.
One freedom we have, which more easily allows us to enjoy this freedom in Christ, is the freedom of religion. Some countries are not free, and are not allowed to worship freely. Some people have to meet secretly in houses to worship God, and they risk their lives in doing so. We are all so blessed that we had men who desired to form a country based on this freedom. We can go to a church building with other Christians, or we can worship on the beach or in our front yard if we want to. We could even sing worship songs during the Fourth of July fireworks without worrying about having our Bibles taken away or being thrown into jail. As we celebrate our freedom as a nation this Fourth of July, we can all take great joy in expressing and living our ultimate freedom, the freedom only Christ can give. When we know, believe, and live to serve Christ, that’s the greatest freedom of all.
I want you to think about the meaning to the words of the following song, by James Rowe and J. W. Gaines, arranged by H. F. M. Something that I do too often is sing a song and not think about the words. It’s something that I’m working on, and on a recent Sunday, this song caught and held my attention.
Many of us have friends or family who are not believers, and because they are our friends and family, they are often the hardest to talk to. But remember this important fact: unexpected things happen. If you don’t start a conversion now, you may never get the chance again. A friend of mine recently died unexpectedly, and I am very glad that she was a Christian. Other friends and family may move away. Many of us are afraid of being ridiculed or rejected. But remember, they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting God. This is a concept that took me a long time to understand. Even Jesus was rejected (Luke 4:22,28-30 ):
I was just a toddler when I remember first hearing about Heaven. The Sunday-school teacher said, ”Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, and He has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us.” She described the beauty of Heaven, as set forth in Revelation 21:21-22. Then she said, ”If we live for Him, and do His commandments, He will come one day and take us there.”
When we obey God’s commands to the best of our ability, and confess our sins, repent of them, and continue faithfully in His way, then we can say, with Paul, at the end of our life here, ”I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love His appearing“ (2 Timothy 4:8-9).
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